Preliminary results of one-dimensional vehicle formation control using a structural analogy

Results are presented from a preliminary study to determine the potential benefits of utilizing a structural analogy for formation control of a system of vehicles. Vehicles are modeled as unconstrained mass particles under the influence of control forces in an inertial reference frame. For a system of n particles restricted to motion in one dimension only, equations of motion are developed, and a corresponding dynamic inversion control law is proposed. A dissipative mechanical structure analogy is used to establish a family of feedback controllers. The conditions for global asymptotic stability are presented, and information requirements are discussed. It is shown that a stable system can be generated with each particle obtaining measurements for the mass center location of the system, and the position of the particles immediately next to it. A simulation of the response of a system to initial errors and desired trajectories is presented.